Sounder.



Patented Aug.23, 1910.

SHEETS-SHEBT 1.

J. DU SHANE.

SOUNDER.

APPLIOATION I'ILED AUG.10, 1903.

%Macao 7% J. DU SHANE..

SOUNDEB.

APPLIOATION FILED AUG. 10. 1908.

Patented Aug. 23, 1910.

a SHEETS-SHEBT 2.

Swonk &AM

J. DU SEANE.

SOUNDER.

APPLIOATION FILED AUG. 10. 1908.

Patented Aug. 23, 1910.

B BHEETB-SHEET 3.

JAMES DU SHANE,- OF SOUTH BEND, INDIANA.

SOUNDER.

Application filed August 10, 1908. Serial No. 447,686.

Specfication of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug'. 23, 1910.

To all 'whom 'it may conccm:

Be it known that I, JAMES DU SHANE, citizen of the United States, residing at South Bend, in the county of St. Joseph and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sounders, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to machines for taking soundings from vessels while they are either at rest or under way and it has for its object the production of a machine that will show the true depth of the water at the place where the sounding is made whether the vessel is going ahead or hacking or standing still.

It consists in such Construction and combination of parts as are hereinafter specifically described and illustrated by the accompanying drawings in which Fgure 1 is a Vertical cross section taken lengthwise of the shaft, showing the various parts in their relation to each other. Fig. 2 is a View of the revolving dial with its oscillating index. Fig. 3 is a diagrammatc view of the geared connection between the axis of the winding drum and the dial rotated thereby. Fig. t is a vertical cross section taken perpendicular to the shaft and through the braking mechanism. Fig. 5 is a vertical cross section showing the electrcal connections from the battery through the brake Operating magnet, and the Contacts on the dial to the conductors in the twostranded sounding wire. Fig. 6 is a View in vertical section of the sinker and its connection with the two-stranded sounding wire. Fig. 7 is a diagrammatic view of the electrical circuit and its connections.

Like parts throughout are designated by the same letter or numeral,

The working parts are contained in a box W, which is provided with an opening V, through which the face of the circular dial, A, and its index, B, may be viewed. To the inside of the front of this case is Secured a bearng, N, within which rotates the end of a hollow shaft, D, the other end of said shaft being mounted in a standard O', which is secured to the bottom of case W. To the end of this hollow shaft, D, is secured a gear wheel, E, which is bored out to form one bearing for the horizontal swinging arm, C, whose other bearng, M, is secured to the outside of the case, W, so that C, will pass freely through the center of hollow shaft, D. Upon this shaft, D, is keyed a wnding drum, K, a brake drum, L, and a sprocket gear, S, by means of which drum, K, may be rewound. The swinging arm, C, is L shaped, carries a guiding pulley, T, at its elbow and terminates in an eye, J, through which the sounding wire, Y, passes. This sounding wire, Y, s made of two strands of conducting wire insulated from each other and having their terminals connected at one end to two conducting rings, 10 and ll, carried by the back of dial, A. These rings are broken as shown in Fig. 5 and across the space between'their ends is Secured a short-circuiting bar, 12, the use of which will be hereafter described. Sounding wire, Y, is wound upon drum, K, passes over a guide pulley, X, which revolves on a bracket bolted to the upper part of the case, thence down over pulley, T, at the angle of swinging arm, C, and through eye, I, at the end of the arm to the sinker which is attached to its free end.

P, is a short shaft mounted near the bottom of the case controlled by a winch and handle, F, and carrying a sprocket, W which is connected by chain, R, to sprocket, S, serves to rewind the drum after a sounding is made.

To the inner end of arm, C, is Secured a curved index, B, desorbng an are equal to the swing of arm C, but in reverse direction. And turning freely upon the projecting end of arm C, is mounted the circular dial, A. This dial is driven through a train of spur wheels from hollow shaft, D, as follows: Referring to Fig. 3, spur wheel, E, which is Secured to the end of shaft, D, drives intermediate pinion, F', which, through, Gr, and its pinion wheel, I-I, rotates dial A. H, meshes with gear, I, attached to the back of dial, A. F, and Gr, turn on studs set into the face of standard O'. For convenience this train of spur wheels, E, F, G, H and I, is so proportioned that the unwinding of the total length of the sounding wire from drum K, will produce practically one revolution of the dial. Thus each gradation on the inner circle of the dial will stand for a unit of length of the sounding wire, as 1 foot or 1 fathom.

The dial is graduated as follows; referring to Fig. 2: Upon its face is described a series of circles. The inner one of these circles is divided into as many parts as there are units, feet 'or fathoms, in the sounding wire used. For illustration every tenth division only is shown in the drawing. When the sounding wire stands at an angle with the vertical, as will be the case when the vessel is in motion, the true vertical depth corresponding to any given angle will be the length of wire paid out multiplied by the cosine of the angle said wire makes with a vertical line. Thereforeon the second circle will be inscrbed such lengths multiplied by the cosine of an angle say of 10, on the third circle of 20; on the fourth of 30. The figures on first circle will indicate the actual length of wire paid out; those on the other circles the exact vertical at the various angles whose radius will be the length of wire noted on the inner circle. Under practical conditions this angle will rarely exceed 7 O. The figure shows the dial laid out for 40, maximum; The index is given a curve of such a pitch 'that when it has swung through an arc of 10, 20 or 30, etc., degrees, its edge will intersect the vertical line on the dial where it crosses the 10, 20, 30, etc., circles. The exact depth therefore will be indicated where the edge of the index crosses `line which is vertical on the dial. By providing the index with a similarly curved extension to the left as shown in Fig. 2, it will indicate the true depth while the vessel is hacking up, as well as when it is going ahead.-

The braking device as shown in Fig. 4 consists of two brake shoes 1 and 2 clasping the surface of brake drum, L, and pivoted at 17 to a block on the bottom of the case.

e A rod, 4, is attached flexibly through a leaf spring, Z, to shoe 1 and passes through an upward extension of shoe, 2, to the short e arm of a lever, 3, which is fulcrumed on shoe, 2, near its "upper end. To the end of the long arm of lever 3, is pivoted the core, 5, of a solenoid, 6 fixed on the bottom of the case. To the inner end of core, 6, is attached a pull rod, 7, having a finger loop, 9, at its outer end and a catch, 8, which may engage with the edge ofthe aperture in the case through which it passes.

The sinker, 20, ?a vertical central section of which is shown in Fig. 6, is cylindrical and hollow, containing a contact plug, 19, which `is cupped out on its under surface. Within this cupped cavity is a contact pin, 26, which is screwed firmly into the upper end of a rod, 24, of insulating material. To the lower end of this rod is fixed a lead bulb, 25. Rod, 24, passes slidably through an insulatingball, 22, which is held within a divided'spherical flanged shell, 21, whose parts are clamped together by a shouldered ring, 23, which forces the edges of the flanges of shell 21, against the lower edge of sinker, 20, which is recessed to receive them. To resist the press'ure of the water the chamber of sinker, 20, thus formed -mav be nearly filled with a non-conducting oil. Enough air is left in said chamber, however, to allow, by compression for the movement of the stem when the sinker strikes the bottom. The stem 24 fits closely and accurately and the oil about the stem, between the latter and the casing, acts as a seal to the chamber and the water from the outside is excluded. One strand, 17, of sounding wire, Y, is soldered to plug, 19, the other stand, 18, passes through an insulating tube in plug, 19, to contact pin, 26. A cone, 27, through which wire, Y, passes is secured into the upper end of the sinkcr thus clamping the wire and the sinker together.

As shown by Fig. 7, the electrieal connections run as follows: Starting from the battery, 16, one strand of the sounding wire, say 17 passes around the solenoid, 15, through brush contact with conducting circle, 10, to wire Y, and plug, 19. The other strand, 18, starts from battery, 16, passes through brush contact with conducting circle, 11, to wire, Y, and contact pin, 26.

The action of the apparatus is as follows: Assuming the drum, K, to be wound up, the operator loosens latch 7, and the sinker will inmediately fall. Where bulb, 25, strikes bottom, pin, 26, will be forced into contact with plug, 19, thus completing the circuit. Solenoid, 15, will be instantly energized and brake shoes 1 and 2 will clamp the drum, L, and no more wire will be paid out. As the wire is unwound from drum, K, the figures on the inner circle of the dial will indicate the exact length of wire paid out, and if the vessel is moving the angular position of the index will show the true vertical depth cor- `responding to that length of wire held at the angle to which the swinging arm is carried. Should there be no bottom, as soon as the length of wire for which the dial was graded had been unreeled the short circuiting bar, 12, would be brought into contact with the brushes and the eircuit would be closed, the magnet energized, the brake set and the dial would indicate that condition. Should the conditions be such that the sinker could be allowed to drag upon the bottom the change in the angular position of the wire would cause the varying depth to be indicated by the index. The ine ualities of the bottom could thus be charted rom observations on the dial taken in connection with the speed of the ship on its course. In this case the electric circuit should be broken and the brake set by causing latch 7, to engage with catch 8,

Having thus described my` invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is as follows:

1. A sounding apparatus conprising a hollow shaft, a winding reelearried thereby, a rock shaft extended through said hollow shaft, and. provided with an arm, a sounding wire wound on said reel and engaging said arm, and means for indicating the length of wire paid off from said reel.

2. A sounding apparatus comprising a hollow shaft, a winding reel carried thereby adapted to receive a sounding wire, a rock shaft located within said hollow shaft and provided with means 'or engaging said sounding wire, and an indicator carried by said rock shaft.

3. A sounding apparatus comprsing a hollow shaft, a winding drum carried thereby, adapted to receive a sounding wire, a rock sha-ft located within said hollow shaft and provided With means for engaging said sounding wire, a dial mounted to rotate upon said rock shaft, and an indicator carried by said rock shaft.

4:. A sounding apparatus comprising a hollow shaft, a winding reel carried thereby adapted to receive a sounding wire, a rock shaft located within said hollow shaft and provided with means for engaging said sounding wire, a dial mounted to rotate upon said rock shaft, means operated by said hollow shaft for rotating said dial, and an indicator carried by said rock shaft.

5. In a sounder of the character described, a dial having its face provided With concentrio divisions indicating the length of wire and the true vertical depth corresponding to various lengths of said wire when placed at various inclnations with relation to a vertical line drawn through the center of the dial, an index member for designating the true vertical depth, and means for rotating said dial and simultaneously Operating said index.

6. In a sounder, a sinker carrying two normally separated contact points, one of said contacts being movable into contact with the other, a two-stranded conductor having one strand connected to each point, a reel on which said conductor is wound, a set of broken conducting circles, a shortcircuiting bar set in the gap of said circles and means for connecting said circles with a source of electrcity.

7 In a sourder a sinker, a double conductor having one strand electrically connected to the body of said sinker, a diaphragm containing a socket, an insulating ball held by said socket, an insulating sten passed through said ball and having a contact on its inner end electrically connected with the second strand of said conductor, said sten being movable to bring said contact into engagement with said body to close the circuit, and a weighted bulb secured to the outer end of said stem.

8. A sounding a paratus comprising a hollow shaft, a winding reel carried thereby, adapted to receive a sounding wire, a rock shaft located within said hollow shaft and provided with means for engaging said sounding wire, and` an indicator carried by said rock shaft and provided with a plurality of branches.

9. A sounding apparatus comprising a hollow shaft, a winding reel carried thereby adapted to receive a sounding wire, a rock shaft located within said hollow shaft and provided with means for engaging said sounding wire, an arm at one end of the rock shaft adapted to engage the sounding wire, and an indicator carried by the other end of said rock shaft.

10. A sounding apparatus comprising a hollow shaft, a winding reel carried thereby, adapted to receive a sounding wire, a rock shaft located within said hollow shaft and provided with an arm at one end adapted to engage the sounding wire, an indicator carried by the other end of said rock shaft, a dial mounted to rotate on said rock shaft, and means carried by said hollow shaft for rotating said dial.

In testimony Whereof I afiiX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES DU SHANE.

Witnessesz' O. -M. KNOBLOCK, Enw. F. DUBAIL. 

